Arthur r



(No Model.) A. R. BUSH.

- SWITCH.'

No. 425,205. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

UNITED STATES EEICE.

PATENT ARTHUR R. BUSH, OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PAINE &FRANCIS, OF SAME PLACE.

y SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,205, dated April 8,1890.

Application filed June ll, 1889. Serial No. 313,836. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR R. BUSH, of Boston, county of Suffolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pocket-Switches, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel switch, as will bedescribed, especially adapted to be used on incandescent-electric lightcircuits.

In accordance with my invention, a disk or plate has secured to orforming part of it on one side thereof two arms or projections,preferably of wood or other insulating material, and separated from eachother, preferably, a considerable distancef The arms or projectionsreferred to have secured to them contact arms or strips, preferably bentto present an inclined surface, with which co-operates a contact member,herein shown as a metal plate or strip secured to a block, preferably ofwood or other insulating material, fastened in suitable manner to aspindle extended through the disk. The spindle referred to extends, asherein shown, through a sleeve secured to orforming part of the disk onits side opposite to that to which'the arms Aor projections are secured,and the said sleeve is provided with a radial hole or opening, throughwhich is extended a bar or rod, preferably made beveled at its end toengage, preferably, a notch inthe spindle (but which may be a projectionof any sort, as will be described) and lock the' said spindle againstupward or outward movementwhen the said spindie is pressed upon to bringthe contact meniber secured to it in contact with the strips or arms tocomplete the electric circuit. The rod referred to constitutes aretaining` or locking device and is secured to or forms part of areleasing device, herein shown as a yoke to Which is secured a`finger-piece, and by pressing which the retaining device may bedisengaged from the notch of the spindle when it is desired to open thecircuit. The retaining device-is normally kept pressed against thespindle, preferably by a spiral spring which encircles it. The spindleand its attached contact member are moved upward or outward whendisengaged from the retaining device, preferablyby a spring. The diskand the retaining and releasing devices are preferably eoncealed orcovered by a suitable cap having a hole, through which the upper end ofthe spindle projects, and provided with a suitable opening at its side,through which the finger-piece of the releasing device is eX- tended.The disk will preferably be secured to a shell or casing of tin or othersuitable material, which is adapted to be inserted into a hole or pocketin the wall of a building or room, so that when in position the switchis covered by the cap, the remaining parts being concealed.

The particular features in which my invention consists will be pointedout in the claims at the en'd of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical section of a switch einbodying my invention; Fig.2, a top or plan view of the switch shown in Fig. l, with the cap orcover and thumb-nut removed; and Fig. 3, a' modification to be referredto.

The base a, preferably made as ametal disk, has secured to or forming apart of it at one side thereof arms or projections d d2, which may be'of wood or other suitable material. The arms c a2 have secured io themcontact plates or strips c3 ci, having their ends bent, as at d5, topresent inclined surfaces with which co-operates a contact member a6,preferably made as a plate or strip, secured, as shown, to a block d'7,of wood or other insulating material, on a spindle d8, extended throughthe disk d and through a sleeve b, secured to or forming part of saiddisk. The spindle d8 is provided with a notch b', which is adapted toreceive the preferably beveled end of a rod b2, provided, as shown, withscrew-threads b3, to engage the threaded opening of a yoke h4, havingdetachably secured to its opposite end, as by screw-threads, afinger-piece b5. The rod b2 has its outer end inserted into an openingin a lug bs, against which presses one end of a spiral spring UT,encircling the said rod, and having its other end acting against the`yoke h, the said spring normally acting to force the rodh2 forward, sothatits end will engage the notch o ol' the spindle when the latter isdepressed to bring the contact; member a in contact. with thecontact-arms u* u, l

' with a notch to be engaged by the retaining the said rod hfconstituting a ret aining or locking device for the said spindle.

The sleeve b is provided with a longitudinal slot, (see dotted lines,Fig. 1,) into which a rod c, or it might be a projection on the spindle,is adapted to pass when the spindle is depressed.

The spindle c is moved into its outward position when the retainingdevice is willidrawn from the notch Z1', preferably by a spiral springc', encircling the sleeve l), one end of the said spring acting against:a shoulder c2 on the said sleeve and the other end againsta washerorring ci", eneirelin g thesleeve b, and kept pressed against the rod orprojection c by the said spring.

The disk in practice will preferably be inserted into a case or shellf7, fitted into a hole or pocket in the wall of the building, and theparts of the switch on the outer face ol' the disk a will be concealedby a suitable cap or cover d', which may be nickel-plated or otherwiseornamented to give a pleasing appearance to the switch and through whichthe npper end of the spindle a is extended, it being provided outsidethe cap with a suitable thumb-nut d2. The cap d is provided at one sidewith a suitable opening, through which the finger-piece lf extends.

It will thus be seen that when the switch is placed in operativeposition the-parts are concealed within the cap, leaving only thethumbnut di and the finger-piece if accessible to the operator.

The line-wires are secured to the contactarms a3 ai by suitable screws(Z4 di.

As shown in Fig. l. the switch is closed, the circuit being completed,as will be readily understood, through the contact-arms ci; a' andcontact member a, and it it is desired to break the circuit the operatorpresses upon the linger-piece if, which forces the yoke l2 and the rodZF, attached thereto, in the direction of the arrow 20, therebywithdrawin the end of the said rod from the notch h in the spindle uf,leaving the latter free to be moved upward bythe spiral sprin c', thusrcmovin the member c from eontactwith the arms of* coi.

My improved switch, being designed to be inserted into a hole or pocketin a wall ol` the building, is designated by me as apocketswitch.7

I have herein shown a single-pole switch; but I do not desire to limitmy invention in this respect, as a double or other multiple pole switchmay be constructed in similar n1anner-as, for instance, two or moreindependent sets of contact-arms ufl c" may be secured to theprojections a a2, and two or more indtmendently (io-operating contactmembers u. may be secured to the block (.t, all the contact membersbeingr moved with the spindle di.

I have herein shown the spindle as provided device; but I do not desireto limit myself to this construction, as it is evident the said spindlemay be provided with acollar or other projection f, as shown in Fig. 3,with which the retaining device co-operates.

It will be noticed that when the contact member c is withdrawn fromengagement with the contact-arms cada1 to open the circuit an air-spaceexists between each contact-arm ci o," and the contact member c, thusforining a double air-space or break for the switch, thereby making thebest possible break in the circuit, and at the same time reducing theare when the circuit is opened.

I claimn l. In a pocket-switch, the combination, with a base providedwith projectingarms a n, having contact-pieces (t3 c secured thereto andbent to present inclined surfaces, of a cooperating contact memberconsisting of a strip o1' plate a, a spindle extended through the saidbase and to which the contact mem` ber o" is attached, a spring to movesaid spindle, a retainii'lg device consisting of a rod h2, a spring tomove said rod into engagement with said spindle, a yoke secured to saidrod and havinga linger-piece, and an independent cap covering said .yokeand rod, and having openings through which the spindle and 1inger-pieceare extended, substantially as described.

2. In a pocket-switch, the combination, with a metallic base providedwith projecting arms of insulating material and contact-pieces a (tlsecured thereto, of a co-operating contact' member consisting of a blockot' insulatingI material and a metal plate secured to said block, aspindle secured to said block and extended through the said base, aspring to move said spindle, a retaining device consisting of a rod Ui,a spring to move said rod into engagement with said spindle, a yokesecured to said rod and havinga finger-piece, and an independent capcovering said yoke and rod, and having open ings through which thespindle and finger-piece are extended, substantially as described. l

f5. In a pocket-switch, the combination, with a case or shell, ol a baseprovided with arms c o2, extended into said case or shell, and havingcontact-pieces c c secured thereto and bent te present inclinedsurfaces, of a co-operating contact member consisting of a strip orplate a", a spindle extended through the said base and to which thecontact member c is attached, a spring to move said spindle, a retainingdevice consisting of a rod b2, a spring to move said rod into engagementwith ICO IIO

naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses. y

ARTHUR R. BUSH.

Witnesses:

JAS. H. CHURCHILL, `1B.- DEWAR.

